This invention relates generally to an apparatus for swimmers, and more generally to an apparatus for resisting knee flexure during a swimmer's flutter kick.
A swimmer obtains motive propulsion through the water both from the swimmer's arms and legs. In many instances, such as competitive swimming, frictional drag caused by the legs is a significant concern, tending to slow a swimmer down. When utilizing a flutter kick, often streamlining the swimmer's flow through the water is as great of a concern as the amount of propulsion provided by the kicking legs. Such streamlining is enhanced by keeping the swimmer's legs relatively straight rather than bending them excessively at the knees. Excessive bending at the knees not only causes excessive frontal drag, but also may reduce the amount of kicking force properly available to the swimmer. Such improper kicks lead to inefficiencies and corresponding fatigue and reduction in swimmer performance. This is a concern not only to competitive swimmers racing for speed, but also to underwater swimmers, such as scuba divers, who will tire, and correspondingly utilize more of their precious compressed air if they do not optimize their swimming efficiency.
Several devices for swimmers have been designed. For example, several devices using a "check valve" approach to increasing swimmers' propulsion have been designed, such as U.S. Pat. No. 1,767,651 to Cuthbertson, U.S. Pat. No. 3,789,447 to Lavallee, U.S. Pat. No. 579,758 to Luce, and German Pat. No. 178,223 to Schroder. The Cuthbertson and Luce devices disclose swimming appliances attached to the leg below the knee. The Lavallee device discloses a swimming accessory attached to the forearm of a swimmer, and the Schroder device shows a swimming appliance attached at the ankle and waist of the swimmer. These devices have hinged flaps which provide greater resistance when moved in the direction of movement of the power stroke than when moved in the direction of the return stroke. U.S. Pat. No. 3,835,493 to Grivna discloses another swimmer's appliance for providing resistance against water during a power stroke.
It is also desirable to train swimmers to use proper form in their flutter kicks. More specifically, it is desirable to have swimmers develop the use of their hip muscles for powering the flutter kick while de-emphasizing the use of leg muscles. U.S. Pat. No. 2,013,520 to McDermott discloses an apparatus for the use in instruction of swimming. The McDermott apparatus is a landbased apparatus having clasps to engage and hold the ankles and leg supports against which the swimmer's legs push to simulate water resistance. Such devices are used in training, and then during actual competition the swimmer performs without the apparatus, having improved form.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,909,259 to Feir discloses a stabilizing support device for bodies on water. The Feir device includes straps along the length of the supported person's legs and waist, and includes hinge "45 to permit free bending of the leg at the knee." Feir, col. 2, lines 32-33.
While the above devices provide certain advantages, none of them provide the same advantages in the same way as the present invention.